A “buyer persona” can be a powerful tool in uncovering hidden prospect needs and in driving CX change through organizations to increase conversion and retention.

But in practice, personas are often nothing more than fictional stories reflecting wishful internal thinking with little credibility and no impact.

What’s the difference between the two?

Bringing lessons from different perspectives, industry veterans Wayne Cerullo and Kevin McGourty will lead an interactive session on what to seek and what to avoid in implementing buyer persona best practices.

They will show how applying the jobs-to-be-done innovation theory of Clayton Christiansen plus the Key Prospect Insight and Value Proposition Canvas can more effectively guide product innovation and market messaging for those products.

In this highly-interactive session you will discover:

• Examples of real personas that have made a real difference for marketers

• How launching innovative new offerings can be powered by jobs-to-be-done innovation theory

• How to tell when a “persona” is actually a fake

• How to use personas to facilitate internal change

• Key steps to create effective personas efficiently

Handouts will provide additional tools to enable you to make progress on your own on this crucial marketing framework.

Thinking of joining the AMA? For a $300 annual membership with the national AMA, you are provided with many national and local benefits including discounts to programming and events. As a member of the Executive Circle, you gain additional exclusive advantages if you qualify. Here is more information on how to apply for the Executive Circle, or simply join the AMA.

Guest Speakers:

Wayne Cerullo founded B2P Partners, a marketing strategy firm, to equip B2B marketers with business-building prospect insights through buyer and account personas, buyer journeys, win-loss research, message optimization, and the Key Prospect Insight. The B2P team brings experience from IBM, Microsoft, Visa, Citibank, Siemens, Baxter, Sharp Healthcare, plus many growing challengers. A graduate of Princeton, Wayne eked out an MBA from NYU.

Kevin is President of iNPD Center, Inc., where he works with clients to develop and launch breakthrough new products by helping them identify and solve real problems customers want solved.

He is the author of “the Innovator’s Playbook: Discovering and Transforming Great Ideas Into Breakthrough New Products.”

Kevin lives in the Bay Area with his wife Stephanie and their two rescue dogs Freddie and Ginger. And is a partner at Sea Stone Cellars family winery.

Sponsors

Special cooking demo by Nomiku Sous Chef

Special Giveaway courtesy of Swift Apparel!